The Crock-Pot Ladies

We are the Crock-Pot Ladies, Heidi, Katie and Sarah. Three ladies from small towns in different states (Wyoming, Kansas & Illinois) brought together in our desire to share our delicious slow cooker recipes.

Crock-Pot Pizza Sauce (Canning Version)

Crock-Pot Pizza Sauce

For the first time this year I made Crock-Pot Pizza Sauce by scratch to be canned. I had decided to focus my garden on things that I knew the family would eat and that I could preserve. I purchased a pressure canner so I could process meats, veggies and mixes of the two. I’ve been canning for years, but was sticking to fruits and tomatoes. This recipe if it’s followed exactly, can be water bath canned. If you want to vary it a bit, or not be so concerned on the amounts of tomatoes to onions and garlic then it needs to be pressure canned. Either will work well. This Crock-Pot Pizza Sauce can also be frozen if you wish to do neither, and of course can be used fresh, if your making a ton of pizza! The recipe uses honey to sweeten and you can replace with regular sugar, but I generally don’t suggest using artificial sweeteners when canning. If you are interested in either Water Bath Canning or Pressure Canning and don’t know where to start, the Ball Book is the best beginners book to start out with. This recipe was the first time I got to try out my new Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender, and frankly I wonder where it has been all my life! What a marvelous product. I also used my trusty stockpot and my new Presto Pressure Canner. I’ve made it twice now, and working on a new one tomorrow. The pretty new Green Heritage Ball Jars were a nice touch too.

This can be done several different ways, I will first post how I do it.

I wash tomatoes with vinegar and water to help clean them, picking out any that are spoiling or bruised ( soak in huge buckets).

I cut the top off of the tomato, and then cut out much of the core and scrape the seeds out.

In a Roma Tomato, it's easiest to cut the tomato in half to get the seeds out.

In a tomato that is more a round size, it's easier to cut the top off, and then squeeze the tomato to get the seeds and juice out.

I then boil, on medium, the tomatoes and chopped onions down until they are much more liquified, stirring often.

I drain off the excess juices and place them into my crock-pot.

I add the garlic, honey and bay leaves.

Set on high for about 4-6 hours on high.

Do not place the lid on, once it is warm and stir every 30 minutes or so.

Remove Bay leaves when it's done.

If it still seems quite runny I would add a small can of tomato paste or dehydrated tomatoes.

I then let it cool down a bit, and pour in a large container (I use my large water pitcher) and I use my immersion blender to make it a nice smooth consistency.

Add your basil, Oregano and Thyme..taste test it (I end up adding a bit more honey to mine).

Remember if you are Water Bath Canning add your lemon juice to each jar and you need to follow the ratios of tomato vs Onion/garlic exactly.

Pour hot pizza sauce into pint jars, filling to within 1/2 inches of the top.

Wipe the top of the jar with a towel soaked in a bit of vinegar to clean off the jar.

Cover with a clean mason lid (that is been in boiling water) and screw a clean band on, tight but not too tight.

You can then freeze them, and in fact I had an extra amount that didn't fully fill a jar and froze that one with no issues.

Water bath can for 35 minutes (pints) If you do quarts it's 40 minutes.

Or Pressure Can at 11lbs for 20 minutes at 1000 feet (please check a presto manual online if you are at a different elevation for the poundage).

If you are pressure canning quarts do it for 25 quarts.

Recipe Notes

The other way you can make this depending on the equipment you have.

Cook the tomatoes and onions on the stove until they are soft.
Run them through a sieve or food mill to remove the skin and seeds.
What is left, add the honey, garlic and bay leaves.
Cook this mixture until it's been reduced to about 5 quarts.
Pour into the crock pot and set on high, do not cover and do stir occasionally.
Once the sauce is fairly thick remove bay leaves and add the remaining herbs and put lemon juice in the jars if WBC.
Clean the top of the jar with a towel soaked in Vinegar.
Pour the hot pizza sauce into clean pint jars filing it to within 1/2 inch.
Cover with a mason lid that has been in boiling water and place a clean band on and screw tight, but not too tight.
You can then freeze, Water Bath Can or Pressure Can.
For Freezing I would just let it cool off a titch and the place in the freezer (do not do this if you have not left enough space between the top of the sauce and the lid!)
Follow the first recipe times for WBC or Pressure canning psi and times.